A court today upheld a three-month suspended prison sentence against Jean-Marie Le Pen after he described the Nazi occupation of France as ‘not especially inhumane'.

The court decision could not have come at a worse time for the notorious politician, as his daughter is hoping to run for French president in the Spring.

Marine Le Pen took over the leadership of the far right National Front (FN) last year, modernising its image and trying to underplay its connections with racism and anti-Semitism.

Controversial: A court today upheld a three-month suspended prison sentence against Jean-Marie Le Pen, pictured with his daughter Marine yesterday, after he described the Nazi occupation of France as 'not especially inhumane'

In 2005, Mr Le Pen had told Rivarol magazine that ‘in France, at least, the German Occupation was not especially inhumane, even if there were a few excesses - inevitable in a country of 550,000 square kilometres.’

In fact, thousands died after imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Nazis, including some 70,000 Jews who were deported from cities like Paris to concentration camps.

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Mr Le Pen, who has previous convictions for Holocaust denial, was not present for the court ruling.

In 2002, Mr Le Pen, a former French paratrooper, sent shockwaves around Europe after coming second in the presidential election to Jacques Chirac.

Last year, he handed over control of the FN to his daughter, and she is currently running third in the polls, with around 20 per cent of the vote.

She needs to get the backing of at least 500 mayors across France to confirm her candidacy and appears on course to do so.

Close: Mr Le Pen's conviction is bad timing for Marine, who took over the leadership of the National Front last year, modernising its image and trying to underplay its connections with racism and anti-Semitism

Mr Le Pen founded the FN in 1972 and has since been convicted of racism or anti-Semitism on a number of occasions.

In 1987 he described the Nazi gas chambers as ‘a detail of history’, and has always been a vehement opponent of allowing foreigners into France.

Ms Le Pen has maintained her father's anti-immigration policies, and is particularly critical of concessions being made to France’s sizeable Muslim community.

However, she has rejected most of his anti-Semitism, and believes that the FN now represents working-class fears about Europe and globalisation.

She remains extremely close to her 83-year-old father, who is expected to campaign for her before the April/May two round-election.